Meet Tu bie chong, one of my favorite insect allies! A powerful herb that moves blood and helps tissues heal. It's used in our Eagle Claw Liniment where it helps repair muscle microtears after long training sessions or when used before, to reduce muscle fatigue. This is an awesome herb, enjoy getting to know it!

What is wai ke? And why did you name your business that!? I get asked this question a lot! This post explores the meaning behind our name and the intention that went into this phrase representing our botanicals and our process.

I just received an excellent article about the healing properties of the formula San Huang San, or Herbal Ice, as we've decided to name our version. The article is from Plum Dragon Herbs, a company that specializes in external herb formulations for martial artists and sells single herbs and herbal formulations to craft at home (if you're feeling creative and want to make your own medicinals at home!! I encourage you, it's loads of fun!!). San Huang San is a classic formulation for traumatic injury, using it immediately after sprains or strains when there's inflammation and swelling.

These guys have a really beautiful breakdown of the actions of this formula. In the martial arts world, this formula was often taken internally as well as applied externally (our version is meant for external use only), and while there are many formulas Eastern and Western to use in cases of acute injury, they discuss the benefits of using this particular formulation over ice for acute injuries.

We use this salve in our house in place of ice and have had great success in treating many a sprained ankle!! Enjoy reading this article, gleaning bits of wisdom, and let me know if you're interested in this as a liniment, as they talk about in the article!! I'd love to make it with Seattle's local Sound Spirits!!

Hong hua's botanical name is Carthami flos, or safflower. This is one of my favorite herbs! It's only the petals of the flower that are used and they're so so light. Opening a bag or container of hong hua is like getting punched in the face by a stinky wet dog, but like many aromatic morsels, once it's cooked into tea the aroma changes and it tastes nothing like it's initial aroma would lead you to believe! It has the properties of being acrid and warm, both of which promote movement. In Chinese medicine, safflower is used to promote the movement of blood to help alleviate pain. Because of these blood moving actions, it's considered contraindicated during pregnancy.

It's a specialty herb for both gynecological conditions as well as for treating traumatic injuries. Dosage plays an important role in this herbs strength of action -- with higher doses strongly breaking up blood stasis and lower doses gently regulating and invigorating. This flower is a bright red-orange and has thin petals. If you think about the Doctrine of Signatures it makes sense that this herb goes to the blood and opens the channels to dispel stagnation!

According to an article written in Acupuncture Today, "safflowers are grown in the Henan, Hubei, Sichuan and Zhejiang provinces [of China]. The flowers are picked from the plant in the summer, after the petals turn bright red, and are dried in the shade for herbal medicine." It's native to Asia and parts of Northern Africa along the Nile river watershed and generally flowers in June and July. Wouldn't it be amazing to see a field of these beautiful flowers! Probably as awe-inspiring as the fields of sunflowers growing in the Midwest!